GRAND OPENING: New business in Columbia

Saturday

Nature of services offered: The Drain Strainer is a device that protects floor drains, wall drains and grease traps from clogs. It also is an alternative to a commercial garbage disposal.

Opened: April

Costs: The Drain Strainer is $350. The Drain Strainer XL is $450. The Mini Drain Strainer is $300.

Owner’s experience: Owner Brian Ash owned and operated Bambino’s Italian Café for the past 15 years. He originally invented this device for use in his own restaurant, and it worked so well he decided to launch the business to sell the invention to other commercial kitchens.

Origin of name: The Drain Strainer is a food solids separator. It allows water from sinks to filter through its strainer drawer while capturing all the solids that could clog pipes.

Customer appeal: “The Drain Strainer is an affordable and environmentally friendly solution for any commercial kitchen that needs their sinks to drain quickly while keeping food solids out of their pipes,” Ash said. “It can even replace a defective commercial garbage disposal at a fraction of the cost of repairing or replacing it.”

Why take the plunge now? Fifteen years in the restaurant business has taught Ash all about customer service and what types of problems his fellow commercial kitchen operators face. This experience helps him ask the right questions to get customers their ideal solution as if it were his own operation.

Future plans: Ash said many municipalities have banned commercial garbage disposals and more are considering it. Growing The Drain Strainer brand now should make it well-positioned once these additional restrictions and regulations become the norm and solid separators become an industry standard.

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